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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Sailing, mast, LEDs, etc.

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Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/13/2007 : 08:17:38

Well, she's ready and in the water on the mooring. Today is going to be about 65 and sunny with winds at 10 knots. Should make for a fitting "first sail". This year I added new lazy jacks to the mast. I had to bring the mast down off the deck and set it up with the boom to fit the lazy jack to the whole thing. It's a lot of work getting the mast on and off the boat. I have a pulley system in my pole barn I hook up both ends of the mast and swing it over the side and lower. How do most of you guys do it? The mast is heavy, awkward, and those spreaders need to be covered or they will scratch the hull as it comes down. My wife and I tried to get the mast back to the top of the deck by hand - no way! Back to the pole barn and the pulleys.

On another note, The LED anchor light I added some weeks ago is a WINNER! It is brighter than I ever imagined! It uses about 1/10 the amp hours as the original festoon bulb. (see the previous thread.) I am still in the process of receiving some new inverted cone LEDs for the retrofit on the nav bow light and the transom white light. I did run across some new festoon bulbs that also look promising although it would take 2 instead of the original one for the nav lights and require a bit of rewire to mount them in the nav light fixtures (Hellamarine). Why am I going through this trouble? Because the price of LED marine lights are outrageous compared to the several dollars in parts they use. Stay tuned.

Well, "Forgiveness" is waiting. I've waited all winter!

Turk

www.turk.mysailboatblog.com
2003 C250 WK #663
Northeast Ohio
Mosquito Lake/Lake Erie

Edited by - Turk on 05/13/2007 08:18:29

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/13/2007 : 12:03:43

Congratulations!

How is your hand doing?

We have never taken the mast off any boat so I can't help you there. I can share in a bit of success with our boat though. Yesterday I succesfully snaked the VHF coax from the mast step area in the cabin to the starboard trim just under the portlights. Now the VHF coax goes all the way to the radio, by the breaker panel, completely hidden from view.

I am going to follow you lead on the LED for the anchor light. Thanks for doing the work on it!

Happy sailing to you and your wife.

Edited by - on

Second Wind53
1st Mate

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Canada
45 Posts

Response Posted - 05/14/2007 : 09:45:20

Turk did you replace your whole masthead unit or just a different socket. My 95 250WB has a festoon bulb and the ones that the forum were talking about were a twist in bulb.
I would like to change the masthead for a led too.

Peter

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 05/14/2007 : 18:38:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Second Wind53
 Turk did you replace your whole masthead unit or just a different socket. My 95 250WB has a festoon bulb and the ones that the forum were talking about were a twist in bulb.
I would like to change the masthead for a led too.

Peter
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I replaced the anchor light (top of mast) with the bulb from ebay. It is a bayonet bulb with the little nibs directly across from each other rather than staggered. The mast head or steaming light (half way up) is a festoon 1 1/4" 10 watt and a downward facing deck light (looks like halogen). I would be surprised if your anchor light is a festoon as the fixture would block some of the light. If you do have a festoon for your anchor light, I think you would have to change the base out as the LED festoons are typically very directional and would not work. You would need about 5-6 festoons to get 360 degrees. If your talking about the steaming light, there are some new high powered LEDs that shoot out 120-140 degrees and are quite bright. I am going to try one of these for the steaming light.

Just for reference, my fixtures are all Hellamarine. Also, the bow nav light and rear white transom light are both festoon 10 watt. I am working on replacing these now.

The light above required filing off the 4 bulbs on the top. Not a big deal, just clean up what's left so it doesn't short on itself.

Edited by - Turk on 05/14/2007 18:44:56

britinusa
Web Editor

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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 05/14/2007 : 19:05:04

Turk, would you confirm the suppliers website for that anchor light.

Paul

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 05/15/2007 : 19:05:41

Here is the link:

http://stores.ebay.com/US-Home-Direct

You want the 1156 Super White 28-LED Light Wide View 7506 12v

Edited by - Turk on 05/15/2007 19:11:51

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 05/15/2007 : 19:12:56

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Nautiduck
 Congratulations!

How is your hand doing?

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

My hand has healed quite well. Thanks for asking!

Edited by - on

britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 05/15/2007 : 19:40:11

Thanks Turk, placed my order - with luck it'll get installed before the beer cruise.

Paul

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/15/2007 : 23:17:20

I just placed my order too for the LED anchor light. Thanks Turk!

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2007 : 13:25:07

Turk, my LEDs have arrived.

You mentioned in one post about polarity. Did you have to change your wires to the masthead fixture for the LED?

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2007 : 17:06:51

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Nautiduck
 Turk, my LEDs have arrived.

You mentioned in one post about polarity. Did you have to change your wires to the masthead fixture for the LED?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

No, the anchor light was wired correctly. If it does not light, you will have to switch them. These bulbs may have circuitry that does not require worrying about the polarity. If these have it - yer good. If they don't - you have a 50/50 chance they'll light.

Sounds like you ordered 2. Where are you putting the other? My boat has no other fixture like these.

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2007 : 15:06:36

The e-bay seller sold them in pairs, 2 for about $15. I know it should last forever but that's OK. I am OK with having a spare.

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2007 : 22:00:49

Kewl!

Turn the other one into a cabin light. I used a small plastic bowel inverted, sprayed white inside with the bulb mounded in the bottom (flipped it becomes the top). I put it on a long cord and it can hang anywhere inside or brought up to the cockpit and hung off the boom.

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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1349 Posts

Response Posted - 05/21/2007 : 20:00:48

Turk, like that idea. Were did you get the socket for the extra blub?

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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736 Posts

Response Posted - 05/22/2007 : 06:30:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by frog0911
 Turk, like that idea. Were did you get the socket for the extra blub?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You can buy that socket almost anywhere on the net as it is a common automobile socket 1156. Google "1156 socket" and look out!

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/22/2007 : 13:56:04

Great idea for a utility light! I'm going to make one.

Edited by - on

britinusa
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Response Posted - 05/24/2007 : 13:26:37

Turk, do you have a pic/sketch of where you cut off the top of the lamp fitting?
My LED's arrived, I can see that the 4 LED's on the top are held in place with 4 legs each. Did you just cut the legs off or did you remove the top (disk and all) ???

And... Did you consider grinding off the lamp retaining pins on base so that the lamp could go deeper into the housing, possibly avoiding the need to cut the top off?

Paul

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Nautiduck
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Response Posted - 05/24/2007 : 13:40:33

I snipped off the LED legs with tiny wire cutters and then filed the top so that the metal contacts are all flush. I think I will smear some silcon on the top just so any condensation wont cause trouble. The snipping and filing took 10 minutes and was easy. I have small tools from my model railroad hobby. You don't need those top LEDs anyway since they would shine up, not out.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 05/24/2007 13:44:14

britinusa
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Response Posted - 05/24/2007 : 15:46:25

Just tried the install of the new LED, surprise! It fits!
When I twisted the transparent cap back on the whole fitting, I noticed that it pushed the lamp in. Took it off again and found the lamp is pushed upwards by the center spring connector, so I just tried the cap on again and same thing: the lamp just nuzzled down into the fitting. It's obviously pressing p against the cap, but the cap went on securely. I'll be raising the mast in the driveway this weekend to see if the lamp works ok.

Can you see any problems with installing it this way? Does the lamp produce enough heat to damage the cap that it is in contact with? (I'm pretty sure the lamp runs pretty cool, but ya-never-know!

Paul

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 05/24/2007 : 20:30:54

There is no heat at all from the LEDs. So I wouldn't worry. The instructions above are exactly what I did, just cut each leed and file a bit just to take the sharpness away so it will not interfere with putting on the clear cap. Did everyone get it to light the first time? If not, your have to change polarity (reverse the wires).

I just received the inverted cone LED's today. Reds and Greens. Looking to build a little breadboard to mount 3 reds and 3 greens for the bow nav light. These little guys are supposed to be extremely bright and give off a full 360 pattern. Stay tuned.

Edited by - on

Bill Arden
1st Mate

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USA
83 Posts

Response Posted - 05/25/2007 : 13:27:40

Yep, lit the first time. I've been lurking on this thread, but bought the LED light you suggested, clipped off the top chips, and plugged it in last weekend. It worked fine, even at 35F.

Thanks for the suggestion and the research!

Edited by - on

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